PEEL HILL MOTTE
The mound in front of you is a Listed National Monument called a 'Motte', an ancient French word for mound, brought to us by the Norman nobleman responsible for building it following the invasion of 1066.
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He was William the Earl Warenne, a trusted friend of Wiolliam the Conqueror, and he ordered the motte's construction in 1070. Originally there would have been a wooden stronghold on the top, a safe haven from the local population who had to get used to being ruled by the invaders. This was later replaced by a stone tower. History suggests that a fenced-off enclosure - a bailey
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- surrounded both the stronghold and the settlement at the base of the mound, which would have contained living quarters for the lord's family and servants along with barracks, barns and stables, a smithy and a bakehouse. Together, the mound and the enclosure formed the great defence legacy of the Norman Conquest - the motte and bailey castle.
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THE CHASE IS ON
History tells us that Thorne stands on what was the edge of the royal hunting grounds of Hatfield Chase. And since the nobles of the time were very keen on the chase, the castle would have made an ideal hunting lodge. The Normans were known to be keen deer hunters, but with dogs and hawks in the hunting party, the choice of prey was wide.
There is a path up to the top of the motte with free access if you wish to examine it. It is an easy climb as the path winds round the motte rather than rising verticaly.
Details from the Historic England National Monument listing.
"Motte and bailey castles are medieval fortifications introduced into Britain by the Normans. They comprised a large conical mound of earth or rubble, the motte, surmounted by a palisade and a stone or timber tower. In a majority of examples an embanked enclosure containing additional buildings, the bailey, adjoined the motte. Motte castles and motte-and-bailey castles acted as garrison forts during offensive military operations, as strongholds, and, in many cases, as aristocratic residences and as centres of local or royal administration. Built in towns, villages and open countryside, motte and bailey castles generally occupied strategic positions dominating their immediate locality and, as a result, are the most visually impressive monuments of the early post-Conquest period surviving in the modern landscape. Over 600 motte castles or motte-and-bailey castles are recorded nationally, with examples known from most regions. As one of a restricted range of recognised early post-Conquest monuments, they are particularly important for the study of Norman Britain and the development of the feudal system. Although many were occupied for only a short period of time, motte castles continued to be built and occupied from the 11th to the 13th centuries, after which they were superseded by other types of castle.
Whilst the bailey at the Peel Hill site has now been obscured, the motte remains well-preserved. Limited excavations on the summit have demonstrated that building foundations of the stone castle survive there well. Its association with nearby Conisbrough Castle, and others of the important group commanding the Don Valley, is of particular note.
History
Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
Details
The monument consists of a very well-preserved motte c.8m high and over 15m wide at the summit. It is surrounded by a deep, steep-sided ditch but is now enclosed by roads and modern building such that no sign of any outer rampart remains. A bailey is believed to have lain to the south where, according to seventeenth century documentary references, important medieval buildings stood. This area is not, however, included in the scheduling as the precise location of these buildings is uncertain. According to Leland (1534), a motte tower still stood in the sixteenth century and was used as a jail. By 1829, however, when Casson was writing, this had been demolished and only foundations survived. Casson's description of the remains indicates that the castle was a smaller version of the nearby great keep at Conisbrough. Like Conisbrough, Peel Hill motte and bailey castle was held by the de Warennes and is one of a group of such castles commanding the Don Valley. All modern features, including benches, bins, walls, fencing, the surface of paths and hardstands, and growing shrubs and trees are excluded from the scheduling but the ground underneath is included.
MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation."
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